6 Best Restaurants in University City and West Philadelphia, Philadelphia

Manakeesh Cafe

$ | University City Fodor's choice

A Spruce Hill staple, Manakeesh specializes in the Lebanese flatbreads of the same name. Served warm from the oven, the puffy, round loaves come with both traditional toppings (za’atar, kafta) and unorthodox ones (turkey bacon-egg-cheese, cheesesteak), which speak to the diverse crowd that fills the comfortable café-style space. Encased behind glass along the front counter, fresh-baked Lebanese pastries cut in a dozen different shapes glitter like jewelry. A box makes an excellent take-home treat.

Avril 50

$ | University City

They don’t make shops like this University City mainstay anymore. Not only is it an international newsstand—there's a selection of foreign periodicals, postcards, and hip art publications—but it’s also a café, offering high-end coffee, tea, and chocolate, and an old-school smoke shop, selling specialty tobacco products. The patio seating is an added bonus—enjoy your paper and espresso with a little people-watching.

City Tap House

$$$ | University City

A popular hangout with the Penn crowd, this contemporary bar and grill pours a staggering six dozen draft options, with a heavy focus on American craft beer. This selection pairs well with an accessible gastropub menu offering a little of everything, from burgers and brick-oven pizzas to mussels and prime steaks. You can grab a seat at the huge wraparound bar, sit in the spacious dining room, or hang out on the terrace around one of five stone fire pits overlooking busy Walnut Street.

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Pod

$$$$ | University City

The futuristic atmosphere of this restaurant (all-white tables and chairs and partially enclosed booths—or pods—whose lighting changes color with the touch of a button) is a fitting setting for food with strong Asian overtones that ultimately defies precise description. The sushi conveyor is an entertaining touch. Dim sum, stir fry, and crab pad thai share the menu with entrées such as tea-smoked duck breast, whole branzino with wasabi chimichurri, and takes on fried rice with foie gras and Wagyu beef. Just be warned: the place can be overrun with Penn students.

Pod

$$ | University City

For a pan-Asian fix, grab a stool at the sushi bar at the futuristic Pod, where you can select your favorite raw fish from a conveyor belt.

White Dog Cafe

$$$$ | University City

White Dog did farm to table long before the concept rose to national prominence. The Sansom Street stalwart specializes in sustainable foods ethically sourced from the region—think simple cooking that highlights the beauty of Kennett Square mushrooms, Lancaster beef, or Chester County goat cheese. The small, lively Parlor Bar has a number of domestic craft beers on tap and in bottles; the wine list is largely American, too. The space, a consolidation of historic brownstones, features a series of distinct rooms decorated in farmer-chic style.

Philadelphia

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